Apple Peels
by InactiveAccount-95
Summary: Alice Longbottom convinces the Potter, Weasley, and Scamander children to try an old Irish Halloween tradition. Lily/Lysander. Brief mention of potentially one-sided Alice/Hugo. Rated for my paranoia.


**DISCLAIMER: Not mine. Non est mea. Non è mia.**

**For Delete-The-Girl's Halloween Challenge.**

**Pairing: Lysander S/Lily L P  
Place: Luna & Rolf's house  
Prompts: "I love Halloween," "I think your mom is insane," popcorn balls**

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"Lily, don't eat that," Mrs. Scamander said.

The youngest Potter, who was sitting in a circle with some of her cousins, the Scamander twins, and Alice Longbottom on the living room floor of the Scamander house, froze just as she was about to bite into a popcorn ball. All of the children were home for the week due to a teaching conference the Professors were all attending near Durmstrang.

Lily was not sure she would understand her godmother's logic, but she had to ask. "Why, Mrs. Scamander?"

"Popcorn balls make you more susceptible to Umgubular Slashkilters," Mrs. Scamander replied. "Cornelius Fudge had one once. It was terrible."

Lily sighed and dropped the treat back into her bag of candy.

"No offense, Ly," she said, nudging the boy next to her with her elbow, "but I think your mom is insane."

"I most certainly _am_ offended," Lysander said, crossing his arms and sticking his nose up. Then he grinned and winked at Lily. "You should _know_ she is."

"I don't even know what an Umgubular Slashkilter _is_," Lily sighed.

Lysander raised an eyebrow. "And you know what Nargles and Crumple-Horned Snorkacks are?"

She opened her mouth to retort, but could not think of a good argument.

"Can we get back to the game?" Alice demanded, obviously a bit irritated that her turn had been interrupted.

"I don't know why we have to do this, Alice," Lily sighed. "It's not like there's any truth behind it."

"It worked for the Irish. It can work for me," Alice declared, taking a knife to the apple she was holding. The old Irish Halloween tradition said that, if a girl could successfully peel the apple in one go, the skin could be dropped to the floor to reveal the initials of her future husband.

Victoire had already gotten 'TRL,' which only confirmed Alice's belief that the superstition was true; Victoire was already engaged to Teddy Remus Lupin. Alice and Lily were the only ones who had not gone yet.

Alice finished peeling hers and eagerly dropped it. "HGW?" she said, brow crinkling in confusion as she studied the peel on the floor. "Who's HGW? I don't think I know anyone—"

"Hugo," Lily shouted, immediately breaking into a huge grin; she knew Alice had fancied Hugo since their second year, two years ago. "Hugo Gideon Weasley!"

Alice's blush was redder than anyone had thought possible as she avoided eye contact with Hugo, who was sitting on the other side of the circle.

"Well, whaddaya know, Alice? We're meant to be," Hugo said, a teasing grin on his face. "How about it? Wanna marry me?"

Stop being such a prat, Hugo," said his sister Rose as she smacked him on the arm.

"It's Lily's turn," Alice shouted in an obvious attempt to divert attention from herself.

"Oh, no, let's just keep this up," Lily laughed. "It's much more entertaining."

But Lorcan forced an apple and a knife into her hands, and everyone began pressuring her to peel it.

"C'mon, Lils," Lysander said. "All the other girls did it."

Lily just rolled her eyes. "Fine, but just so you'll all stop harassing me. And next year it's the boys' turn to do something embarrassing." She made quick work of the apple peel and dropped it to the ground.

"LXS," Lily muttered, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks.

Alice looked at the apple peel, then around the circle. "Is it Lorcan?"

"No," Lorcan said, "my middle name is Newton."

"Lysander?" Alice said.

Lily's face was flaming red. Lysander was also turning the slightest shade of pink.

Alice grinned. "What's your middle name, Ly?"

Almost too quietly to hear, he mumbled, "Xenophilius."

Every girl in the room, except Lily and Rose, began to squeal with laughter as Lily and Lysander grew redder and redder.

"Okay, enough," Rose said, interrupting everyone's laughter. "Trick-or-treating's almost over. We'd better go now if we want more candy."

A few mutters of 'killjoy' came from the group, but most were more concerned with their limited trick-or-treating time.

Meanwhile, James was in the kitchen, laughing so hard his eyes watered. "I love Halloween."

"I know," Fred said, laughing just as hard as his cousin. "It's like a free pass to prank whoever we want. Only better day's April Fools."

"How long do you think it'll take them to figure out we used a spell to make the apple peels do that?"

"Dunno, but did you see the look on Lily's face? Priceless!"

Suddenly, James heard Alice call out from the door. "Hey, where'd Ly and Lils go?"

Hugo grinned. "Probably still in the living room."

"Doing what?" James demanded, immediately suspicious. He entered the room before anyone could stop him and found his sister kissing Lysander.

James cleared his throat, barely resisting the urge to jinx the Scamander twin into oblivion. Lily and Lysander jumped apart, blushing furiously.

"Lily, outside," James ordered.

She began to protest, but one glare from her older brother silenced her.

"Sorry, Ly," she muttered as she rushed out of the room. Lysander looked up at James, who was giving him the coldest death glare he had ever seen.

James sat down in front of the other boy. "So, you're dating my baby sister?"

**

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I'm not too happy with this, but it's already late. So there it is.

**Hugo's middle name is Gideon after one of Mrs. Weasley's deceased brothers.  
Lysander's middle name is Xenophilius after his maternal grandfather.  
Lorcan's middle name is Newton after his paternal great-grandfather.**

**If anyone's wondering who Rose got— SHM. Take a guess. ;)**

**And now for your daily dose of nagging: REVIEW!**


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